We have all heard the phrase “blood is thicker than water.” It means that family ties are stronger than those of friendship, nationality, or religion.
However, what about when sibling rivalry tears our families apart?
Galatians 4:4-7 tells us we are adopted as sons into the family of God. In biblical times, to be a son meant something different than it does today. To be a son meant a responsibility to uphold the family name, the beliefs and traditions, and the integrity of the family’s honor.
It was a huge responsibility, and to discard it carelessly was to insult those who also carried the same name. We see this in Luke 15 in the story of the Prodigal Son. The older brother was incensed, because the family name had been dishonored, and now his father was welcoming his wayward brother back into the fold.
Let’s look at three passages in the Old Testament that illustrate God’s design for unity as well as the destructive power of sibling rivalry, for just as sibling rivalry can tear a family apart, it can break the covenant of God and tear a nation, limb to limb.
Passage 1:
In Genesis 6:18, God made a covenant with Noah, telling him his entire family would be saved. We see the beginning of this promise in Genesis 3:15, when God spoke to the serpent in the Garden, telling the evil one that the victory of Christ at the cross would one day defeat the earthly power of Satan.
God had a plan that would span millennia, and through it all, he intended his creation to be a family, tightly bonded through him. His covenant spoke of his intent to keep his hand over his creation, protecting them for all time.
Passage 2:
In 1 Chronicles 15:24, we find ourselves in the midst of a great rejoicing. The Ark of the Covenant, the greatest symbol of God’s ongoing promise to Noah, finally had a home. The priests blew the trumpets, for all in the nation were in a state of celebration.
They seemed unified in praise and worship. However, in Verse 29, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out of her window, saw David dancing in praise to the Almighty God, and she despised David and all he represented.
God’s covenant to Noah, begun in the Garden and renewed in the Ark of the Covenant, was not just for a select few. The Ark of the Covenant was not given just to David. It was to represent God’s kinship to all his children. Michal's dark thoughts were sibling rivalry in its purest form. The brokenness between Saul and David had become a wedge that divided the people.
Passage 3:
2 Samuel 2:31 reveals the depth of the ensuing tragedy. The Israelites were now broken into two camps. David had been made king over Judah. Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was established as king over Gilead, Benjamin, and all the rest of Israel.
It was the harvest of the sibling rivalry between Saul and David. The covenant God had made with his children was decimated. Discord seemed ready to split the children of Israel completely in two.
Men of each kingdom met at the pool of Gibeon, and they each sent twelve of their best young men to fight before them. It was the beginning of a great battle that day, and before the sun went down, David’s men struck out in pursuit of Abner, the captain of Ish-bosheth’s army, with the intent to kill him.
In Verse 31 we read that 360 of Abner’s men were killed. If Abner were caught, more would die. This was a battle between brothers, for all were of the children of Israel. This was sibling rivalry at its most intense. God’s covenant had been cast aside and trampled into the earth.
Yet, God’s covenant would be raised and dusted off once again. In a moment of desperation, Abner raised his voice and called to the captain of David’s men, “Will this warring between brothers never end?”
His answer? The captain of David’s army called back, “Because you have asked, we will no longer pursue you.” He turned away, and his army began the long trek back to Hebron.
When we have a disagreement with our brothers in Christ, we must remember that we are bound together under the covenant of God. We cannot let division bring a fractured relationship to the people of God.
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